About

Naturally Lewis is excited to host the 2nd annual Lewis County Economic Development Conference on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 3 Willows Event Center in Lyons Falls, NY! This year's theme, From the Ground Up, understands the roots of our economy and our businesses and provides how to use this foundation to develop a thriving rural economy. We are looking forward to a full day of leadership development opportunities, economic development updates, community building, and networking!

Agenda

8:00AM – 9:00AM | Registration & Networking

9:00AM – 9:15AM | Welcome & Introductions

9:15AM – 10:00AM | Keynote Panel

Growing Your Business From the Ground Up – Lewis County is the Natural Choice for business growth. Hear from business owners that have built their businesses here in Lewis County and how they continue to succeed in our backyard.

• Facilitator: Mick Lehman, Grand Slam Safety

• Panelist: Doreen Garrett, Otis Technology

• Panelist: Bob Chamberlain, Grand Slam Safety

• Panelist: Jacob Monnat, Monnat Brothers Inc.

10:15AM - 11:00AM | General Session

Planting Seeds in the Community Roundtable - led by Naturally Lewis – Attendees will work in small groups to identify where they are in the process of building their careers, your businesses, or communities – and determine what comes next for their success!

11:15AM – 12:00PM | Breakout Sessions

Asking the Right Questions: Customer Discovery - Maura McGuire, Innovator & Entrepreneur – Do you have a business idea, whether it be a new product or service? You might be surprised the time, effort and money you can save by simply asking the right questions! Hear inspirational customer discovery stories that saved businesses from losing profits and helped them identify new opportunities.

Developing Effective Programming - Ryan Miller, MVCC thINCubator – Are you constantly creating new programs and services for your target market? Whether you are leading an organization, municipality, school or non-profit learn ways to develop thoughtful programming that will be highly effective for your audience.

12:00PM – 1:00PM | Lunch, Speaker & Network!

Adirondack North Country Association: Growing Local Economies - Dani Delaini, Entrepreneurial Program Director

1:10PM - 1:55 PM | Breakout Sessions

Finance This! Funding Your Project – Hear from a panel of industry experts that will discuss traditional and untraditional financing methods for your next project, including bank financing, incentives, grant funding, and loan funding.

• Facilitator: Cheyenne Steria

• Panelist: Mike Pierce, Community Bank

• Panelist: Nicole Scibner, Pursuit

• Panelist: Mike Kinnie, Small Business Development Center

• Panelist: Jennifer Perry, ANCA 

I Have a Logo, Now What? –  Hannah Luiz, Novel Marketing Co. - Your logo might be one of the first things your ideal client sees, but there is so much more to explore when it comes to creating effective marketing. We're talking brand strategy, client experience, and emotional connection in this brand-focused session. 

2:05PM - 2:50PM | Breakout Sessions

Making the Most of Every Season: How to Take Advantage of Tourism – Whether you are a resident seeking weekend adventure or a business looking to capitalize on local tourism traffic, learn how to take advantage of all that Lewis County has to offer.

• Facilitator: Kristen Aucter

• Panelist: Taren Beller, Tug Hill Estate

• Panelist: Corey Fram, 1000 Islands International Tourism Council

• Panelist: Rachel Lisk, Lewis County Fair

• Panelist: Nic Mir, Snow Ridge

Community Collaborations vs. Competition – Hear success stories from our economic development partners who are creatively implementing programming to improve our communities.

• Facilitator: Ryan Piche, Lewis County Manager

• Panelist: Carl Farone, Development Authority of the North Country (DANC)

• Panelist: Megan Stadler, Jefferson Community College 

• Panelist: Cheyenne Steria, Community Economic Development Fund

• Panelist: Meghann Hellinger, The Bateman Draft House

3:00PM – 3:50PM | General Session

How Are You Being Watered & How Are You Watering? – This session balances re-filling your cup mentally while also contributing to fertilizing the community. Local experts will assist you in aligning your thoughts with your goals and provide inspiration to take the next step.

• Facilitator: Calvin Company, Northern Credit Union

• Panelist: Heather Hurd, Kelpytown Kove

• Panelist: Matt Zehr, Abundant Life Community Church

• Panelist: Devan Robinson, Developing with Devan

3:50PM – 4:00PM | Naturally Lewis Updates & Closing

4:00PM – 5:00PM | Happy Hour

Registration

Registration | $120

Member-Investor Registration | $80 

• Current Member Investors can contact kristen@lewiscountychamber.org to recieve your discount code!
• Note: You must be a 2023 member of the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce-Naturally Lewis Member Investor Network to be eligible for this incentive. Please visit this link to join the Network.